SPIRITUAL FIRE

A man stood at the podium

Calling himself “the fire man”

Shouting blessings

Shouting cursings

Until the trial moment came

II

A child of eight, run to the temple

Panting in a frenzy

Shouting in fear

Of the unimaginable

So the audience asked

“What at all is it?”

III

Like a Satanic messenger

He unfolded his tongue

“Ei, a man is lying in a pool of blood

Outside the church

With huge blisters all over his body

Judging from his symptoms

A doctor run wild

Saying it is ebola!”

IV

Before the members could sink it in

The podium fell

The fireman fell, stood, shouted and fled

The elders followed

The audience then knew

That standing by the podium

Was a mere water shell

If it had been washed in-shore

Then they too must flee

And so it happened

That the fireman ended up selling dog-chains

By the roadside,

None of his former followers patronising

Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia (c) 2015